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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The milestone 100th edition of New Zealand’s National Yearling Sale has caught attention throughout the thoroughbred world, including one of the United Kingdom’s leading trainers. Among the crowd at Karaka on Sunday was the recognisable figure of William Haggas, the winner of more than a dozen Group One races in his homeland including the Derby (2400m) with Shaamit and Oaks (2400m) with Dancing Rain, along with other elite-level triumphs in France, Ireland, Germany, Italy and Australia. Haggas was invited to attend the centenary sale by NZB principal Sir Peter Vela, a long-time friend for whom Haggas has previously trained horses in the northern hemisphere. “I’ve known Sir Peter for a long time and I’ve always promised that I would come, and I’ve finally made it,” Haggas said. “It fitted in well and I’ve always wanted to see it, and I’m pleased that I’ve come.” The 65-year-old’s taste of the Kiwi industry also included Saturday’s Karaka Millions twilight meeting at Ellerslie, headlined by the six-length runaway by unbeaten filly Well Written (Written Tycoon) in the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). “I thought it was terrific,” he said. “The only great shame was the weather, because we got a bit of English weather and everyone had made an effort to dress up and enjoy themselves. But it looked to me like everyone decided to forgive the weather and just get on with it, and it was a great atmosphere. “Well Written showed a great turn of foot. She just needed to get organised at the top of the straight, and then it was game over. I don’t know the quality of the opposition, but horses that can quicken are usually pretty good wherever they are in the world.” The Karaka sale grounds and the yearlings catalogued for this week’s sale have made a similarly favourable impression. “The complex is very well organised here,” he said. “It’s very easy for the customer to see the horses, plenty of room, plenty of cover if the weather is filthy, which it has been. “It’s easy to find your way around. Already I know where to go, whereas if you go to Keeneland in America, it takes five sales to get used to it. Tattersalls is the same, it’s big. Goffs in Ireland is pretty easy to work out, but this is as good as I’ve seen. “The style of horse here is not too dissimilar to what I’m used to. I’ve been impressed by the quality of the stock. I’ve found it very difficult to value them, but that’s normal stuff for me, because I find it difficult to value them everywhere. But there are some very nice horses here, so I hope it goes well for them. “I get the impression from people here that the industry is in a critical stage in New Zealand, with the foal crop diminishing and the guarantees of prize-money from Entain halfway through its five-year tenure. So it’s really important that people support the business if they want it to succeed. It’s not going to succeed on its own. It’s going to succeed because everyone gets together and really commits to breeding and racing. “What’s really struck me here is how many breeders own horses in training, which is a good thing, so let’s hope that it continues, and even though we won’t be still here in another 100 years, but hopefully the place will be.” Haggas has made a habit of targeting the riches of Sydney’s autumn carnival, reasoning that his horses’ fresher legs might have an advantage over locals who have been competing through the season. He won the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) with Addeybb in 2020 and 2021 and Dubai Honour in 2023, the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) with Addeybb in 2020 and Dubai Honour in 2023, and the Gr.1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) with Dubai Honour last year. He expects to be back again in a few months’ time. “We’re planning to bring Dubai Honour again for the Tancred, and then we’ve got another horse, Caviar Heights, who might do the Ranvet and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes,” he said. “His bloods are done and he’s got his place in quarantine, and he looked in terrific condition when I left, and by all accounts he’s doing really well. He’s a horse that we like a lot, we got him from another trainer. He ran only three times last year. His last start was disappointing, but it took a bit of time to work him out. I think he’ll have a good year. Whether he’s up to the Queen Elizabeth, I don’t know, but one thing I’ve learned in racing over the period of time I’ve been training is that if you’re not in, you can’t win.” Haggas, a son-in-law of the legendary jockey Lester Piggott, is now watching with pride as his son Sam forges his own career as a bloodstock agent. “I’ve asked him three times whether he wants to take over from me at some stage, and every single time he never had the decency to even pause before he gave his reply, so I don’t think he’ll be doing that,” Haggas said. “He enjoys the bloodstock side, he is developing lots of data, especially for tried horses, so he’s coming at it from a different angle, which I admire. And one of the beauties of coming out here is actually I’ve probably spent more time with him this week than I do at the moment, because he’s here, there and everywhere, and we’re obviously busy in the summer, so it’s been very nice, and he’s doing very well.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Weigh In is live from the NZB Karaka Sales Complex to review all the action of the TAB Karaka Millions race night and get all the latest news, straight from the horse’s mouth. Weigh In, January 25 View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Bloodstock agent Kevin ‘Millie’ Walls was a key player on back-to-back big lots at Karaka on Sunday, securing a colt for $675,000 before being underbidder on a $600,000 colt that was the very next yearling through the ring. Bidding on behalf of his clients and good friends Ron and Judi Wanless, Walls withstood the challenge of Andrew Williams and Jamie Richards to win a fierce bidding duel for Lot 93. The colt was offered by Hallmark Stud and is by rising star Waikato Stud sire Super Seth out of the Almanzor mare Rozala. The dam is a half-sister to the dam of Gr.3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) winner Public Attention, while the second dam is the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner Katie Lee. “I’ve been buying on type,” Walls said. “We actually bought the half-brother to this colt last year (for $100,000). He’s won a jumpout for us and I know he goes pretty well. “I thought this was just an outstanding colt, one of the best-moving colts on the complex. Ron wanted to keep putting his hand up. I said no, but he kept on going.” Lot 94 a colt by Proisir was sold for $600,000 from the draft of Trelawney Stud. Photo: Angelique Bridson There was barely a moment for Walls to catch his breath before he began bidding on Lot 94, Trelawney Stud’s colt by Proisir out of the Van Nistelrooy mare Ruqqaya. Herself a two-race winner, Ruqqaya is the dam of six winners including Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) winner Grunt, along with Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) winner Zayydani. Ruqqaya is also a half-sister to the five-time Group One winner, New Zealand Horse of the Year and successful sire Ocean Park. Walls went up to $575,000 for the colt, but had to settle for second place as Yulong, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Kestrel Thoroughbreds put in a winning bid of $600,000. Grunt is a member of Yulong’s stallion roster. “I know that colt’s family well from my days as stud manager at Trelawney Stud,” Walls said. “Ruqqaya was a lovely mare and has left great foals. “He’s a lovely colt, but we got beaten by Yulong. They stand Grunt, so that’ll be a good home for him.” Walls was also active earlier in the day, going to $300,000 to purchase Lot 17 – Trelawney’s filly by Sword Of State out of the Ocean Park mare Oceans Eight. The second dam Ruud Van Slaats won twice at Group Two level and is dam or granddam of four black-type performers. “She’s a filly from another family I know well,” Walls said. “I thought she was a lovely, lovely filly. Fillies from that family are hard to get, so Judi’s going to have a lot of fun racing her.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
A striking colt by Satono Aladdin lured respected trainer David Payne back to Karaka on Sunday after more than a decade-long absence. The last time the South African-born Payne bought a horse at Karaka was in 2013, when he paid $150,000 for a High Chaparral colt – the latest in a long line of purchases dating back to the 1980s. “I haven’t been here for at least 10 years,” the now Sydney-based horseman said. “I used to come in the 1980s, including the old days when it was at Trentham. I’ve bought a lot of good horses from here over the years, like Petrava, Take A Walk, Hoeberg – they all won Group One races.” The Fairdale Stud-bred Petrava, by Imposing out of Gr.1 Railway Handicap (1200m) winner Silver Liner, was purchased in 1983. She was raced by Laurie and Jean Jaffee and won 10 of her 15 starts in South Africa including five Group Ones. Petrava’s daughter by Maroof, Hoeberg, was bred by Sir Peter and Philip Vela and was bought for $350,000 at Karaka in 1999. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and became another elite performer in South Africa for the Jaffees, winning four Group One races and also venturing to Dubai for a placing in the Gr.1 Dubai Duty Free (1777m). Bakharoff colt Take A Walk was bred by Jim Campin, was purchased from Karaka in 1991 and won the Gr.1 Queen’s Plate (1600m) at Kenilworth in 1994. Lot 24 a colt by Satono Aladdin from Little Avondale Stud sold for $450,000 to trainer David Payne. Photo: Angelique Bridson All these years later, Payne announced his return early on the opening day of Sunday’s Book 1 session of Karaka 2026 when he went to $450,000 to secure Lot 24. Offered by Little Avondale Stud, the Satono Aladdin colt is out of the twice-winning Snitzel mare On Yer Feet, the dam of four winners from four foals to race including Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) winner Faithful Feat. The colt is also closely related to the dual Group Three winner and Group One-placed Hiflyer. “I’m 78 years old, so I thought I might slow down, but it looks like I’m back in business,” Payne quipped. “My owner wanted me to come. This owner, Wayne Shelton, is keeping me in racing. I’d have 20 horses in training and he must have a share in about 15 of them. “He’s also got a 20 percent share in Ceolwulf, so maybe he’s spending some of the winnings from that horse. He’s raced quite a few horses with me and we’ve been successful with a lot of cheap horses, but now he’s stepping up after Ceolwulf. Before I go out, he wants to give me a Group One winner for him.” The Satono Aladdin colt made an immediate and indelible impression on Payne. “I wanted a Satono Aladdin, because I think he can give you a classic horse,” he said. “I looked at them all, and I saw this one and I said, ‘Jeez, he’s just an athlete.’ He’s a lovely horse and has a lovely, fluent action. Satono Aladdin is doing well and he’s out of a Snitzel mare, so it’s all there. I just thought, ‘This is the one I’d love, if I can get him.’ “He should be a 1600m horse, which is what you’re looking for. I’m hoping we can try to win a Guineas or something like that.” Despite training relatively small numbers at his Rosehill base, Payne has put together an outstanding record of big-race success since moving to Australia in 2002. “You can still compete,” he said. “I’ve had Ace High, Montefilia, Criterion, all those top horses. So you just need one. I’ve always been lucky and found one, and I hope this is the next one.” View the full article -
Mustve been a bit of last minute $. waste of time having tote pools with this amount of wagering surely? Restrictions on some punters and not others is acknowledging that the Bookies do not play fairly when treating individuals differently. They put up the odds but arent prepared to take the punters on?
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